The secret behind the exclusion: did Luca Zidane pay the price for his father's stance on the thorny issue?

Algeria's coach reveals his convictions

An Algerian press report has revealed the real reason behind the exclusion of Luca Zidane, the goalkeeper of Spain's Leganes, from Algeria's squad during the international break this November.

According to La Gazette du Fennec, which cited a source it described as reliable, national team technical director Brahim Hamdani does not want to call up Zidane until he believes the keeper is ready to reclaim a starting spot. He would rather not put him in an awkward position during the camp.

Hamdani justified his goalkeeping choices on the criterion of readiness and regular game time. "I made my decision based on a sporting criterion," he explained. "This position has a great deal of specificity, and I needed to choose between three goalkeepers with as many playing minutes as possible. The three goalkeepers who were selected are the ones who have played the most since the last gathering, and this is the only reason behind preferring them."

But the report pointed out that the matter does not come down to minutes alone. Zidane featured for more minutes than Oussama Benbout (720 minutes) and Rayan Yassli (720 minutes), who filled the void left by Ramadan's absence from the squad.

Hamdani, the source explained, believes the Leganés goalkeeper has not yet regained his full capabilities to compete for the first-choice spot. That is why he preferred to leave him with his club, especially as the team plays two matches during the international break.

Leganés duly took the field on Monday evening against Trbal Valderas in the Copa del Rey, winning 1-0, with Zidane stuck on the bench.

Three days later, the team prepares for its second match against Burgos in the fourteenth round of the Spanish second division.

Zidane had lost his first-choice place with Leganés three weeks ago, after two matches on the bench, despite returning to the line-up in the last round against Albacete, a match that ended in a 1-3 defeat.

All of this came after the goalkeeper started nine consecutive matches. But he conceded 17 goals across 10 games, keeping a clean sheet on only three occasions. According to the report, those figures give him no clear advantage to reclaim his place in the national team the moment he returns.

A two-match suspension imposed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) also forced Zidane to miss the last camp.

The source denied any off-pitch considerations behind the goalkeeper's exclusion, rejecting speculation that linked the decision to the stance of his father, Zinedine Zidane. The France manager had backed imprisoned French journalist Christophe Gleizes during his first press conference after taking charge of Les Bleus.

According to the Algerian website, the source close to the matter insisted this theory holds no weight. Luca Zidane's exclusion was a purely technical decision.

A return to the national team looks difficult in the coming months. Only the March international break remains before the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals, scheduled between 19 June and 17 July, leaving him little time to win back his place.